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JASON FARMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Lakeland students, from left, Hannah Amico, Madison Harding, Alyssa Meta and Leah Noldy, are working on gene sequencing as part of Project Lead the Way.

Lakeland students involved in Project Lead the Way are working to discover a novel gene sequence in a plant. Jason Farmer / Staff Photographer

JASON FARMER / STAFF PHOTOGRAPHER Madison Harding is among Lakeland students involved in Project Lead the Way and working to discover a novel gene sequence in a plant.

KATHLEEN BOLUS, STAFF WRITER
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Published: January 9, 2017

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SCOTT TWP. — Tiny green particles of plant matter filled the bottoms of test tubes as Lakeland High School seniors worked to extract and clone their DNA to aid in cancer research.

Hannah Amico, Kerri Armstrong, Cameron Bullet, Kyle Hallisky, Madison Harding, John Kozlosky, Stephen Liuzzo, Alyssa Meta, Leah Noldy, Katie Retzbach, Abby Samuelsen and Lainie Sarnoski are members of the first Project Lead the Way (PLW) Biomedical Science program in Lackawanna County. They are researching DNA, a hereditary material found in almost all organisms, from buttercrunch lettuce they grew. The students are looking for a specific gene, GAPDH, that has yet to be sequenced in the lettuce. The gene, a segment of DNA, is linked to 21 different types of cancer, according to the class’s research.

Since their freshman year, the 12 students have taken various PLW and science courses, including principles of biomedical science, human body systems, medical interventions, honors biology, genetics and anatomy, as well as Advanced Placement biology and chemistry.

Now in their final PLW course, biomedical innovation, the students are applying the lessons they’ve learned.

“This is the culminating experience, so I would say that there was some trepidation in the beginning,” said PLW and science teacher Laura Mayer.

When class began in September, the students started researching how to identify the GAPDH gene and created a plan to complete the eight-part project.

While her classmates worked in a bleach-scented lab — everything had to be sterilized to prevent cross-contamination — Lainie explained the class’s current task.

“They rip a gram’s worth of plant material off,” she said.

They add chemicals, including ethanol, to help break down the plant and extract DNA, said Lainie, who plans to study zoology next year. She noted they end up with a very small amount of DNA from the buttercrunch lettuce.

If the class can understand the role of the GAPDH gene along the “evolutionary tree,” they could potentially help point researchers to different kinds of molecular treatment options for cancer and other diseases, Ms. Mayer explained as the class worked.

After the extraction process, the class will copy the DNA, isolate parts of it and send it to a lab to be sequenced.

The lab will return the sequence in fragments, and the students will piece the fragments together to discover the GAPDH gene’s code.

Typically, the project is completed in six to eight weeks, with students spending about three hours a day in the lab. The Lakeland seniors, however, are working for 42 minutes a day with the occasional opportunity for extra time generously allowed by their other teachers, said Ms. Mayer.

The DNA project is part of their PLW capstone course and gives them the opportunity to publish their research in the National Institutes of Health database.

“It’s incredible; this is such an opportunity. ... Even for an undergraduate coming out of college, applying to a Ph.D. program, they’re not likely to have anything published,” said Ms. Mayer. “So the fact that the high school students here have an opportunity to shoot for publication ... they’re rock stars.”

The coursework and research during their high school careers has inspired many of the students to pursue science and medical careers.

“Between last year and this year, (it) really kind of solidified my interest in biomedical engineering,” said Stephen.

“I think it’s awesome. We love being in it,” added Alyssa, who plans to study biology after high school and work in the medical field. “It’s definitely beneficial for college. ... My brain could explode, we’ve learned so much.”

The students chose to enroll in the Project Lead the Way program during their freshman year. PLW is a national nonprofit organization that provides transformative learning experiences for students in kindergarten through 12th grades.

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